Best Toddler Excursion (2013)

The food at the Trails Cafe in Griffith Park is scrumptious enough to satisfy Los Angeles gourmets: The avocado sandwich — full of sprouts and soy "bacon bits" — is particularly yummy, and the cookies are, without fail, amazing. But the spot is best utilized by parents of young kids, particularly those whose offspring tend to cause chaos at restaurants. That's because, for one thing, the seating is outdoors — on picnic benches and hay bales — so you don't have to worry about the kids' noise or the mess, and there's plenty of room to run around. Once you're done eating, simply cross the street, where you'll find a full kids' playground on a sandy floor, as well as the trails, which weave through the woods and alongside a brook. Overall, it's an environment in which you won't encounter a single angry eyebrow from another adult, and one that ensures your rugrats will later go down for a solid nap. 2333 Fern Dell Drive, Los Feliz. (323) 871-2102, thetrailslosfeliz.com. —Ben Westhoff